Great strides have been made! And then, a hiccup, possibly a huge hiccup. So what do you do to work through a problem? I move onto another item on my list. Read on to see updates and how to stain IKEA outdoor furniture.
If this is your first time checking out the site, welcome! I’m Marie and we have been renovating our 1929 Tudor Revival style house for the last few years. This is the first time we are taking part in the One Room Challenge; the idea of working on a project timeline with the camaraderie of others is very motivating and appealing. We are working on our backyard for this round. Make sure to check out the other Guest Participants and Designers further in the post.
So what is the huge hiccup I mentioned earlier?
Well, tree trimmers came to work on our pine tree after a huge branch fell earlier this year. While they were working they suggested we have the arborist return to check out the patio the contractor started to dig for. They think the amount of dirt we shifted around might be to heavy for the tree roots; apparently even three to four inches can affect tree roots.
Luckily the arborist is able to come this week. Hoping they don’t find any issues or if they do, hoping there is minimal changes needed to carry on with the patio! Wish us luck!!
While waiting for the arborist’s visit I knocked out a couple items from my to-do list. I decided on the plants for the retaining wall and purchased….
The fragrant plant option!
I arrived at this decision due to comments on last week’s post and the nursery had the most of this plant in stock. The original groundcover I planned to use didn’t actually look great when I placed it next to the Daphne. I chose another plant that provided a bit more contrast. It is difficult to see from this photo, but there are tiny white flowers. Hoping to plant these and the rest (not shown) next week!
The next thing I completed is the refinishing of our IKEA Applaro seating. We purchased a set after buying our first house when we lived in California and made the move to Seattle. We debated buying a new set, but to save some money, I decided to refinish the stain.
Gather Materials.
Gloves, mask, sand paper/sanding block, stain (we have had this IKEA stain since we bought our set, seven years ago!), and cheesecloth. You can use a brush or sponge instead of cheesecloth. We happened to have cheesecloth readily available (read- I was too lazy to dig through our messy basement of totes to find anything else lol).
Sand the wood.
If the texture of the wood isn’t terribly rough, 120 grit will work. You can go higher grit if needed. Test a section to see what works best.
Wipe off sanding dust.
Use a damp cloth to wipe any dust before you start to stain.
Make any necessary patches.
As I was sanding I noticed that a couple spots needed some wood filler. You can patch up any holes and let them dry while you start staining other sections.
Start to stain.
I simply hold the cheesecloth to the bottle and invert it to pour out the stain. The cheesecloth ended up working very will in between the slats.
Apply second coat.
After letting the first coat dry, apply one more coat. We also have the dining table and a few other items from the Applaro collection, but I’ll get to those items another time. Can’t wait to style this sofa once the patio is complete!
What remains on the list.
Make sure to check in next week to see how the arborist visit goes and if our plan stays the same or changes. Thanks for reading!
To do:
- Build low retaining wall in east portion of the yard, this is space closest to the back door where there is currently gravel.
Order pavers, caps for wall, blocks for wall- Order pea gravel.
Finish dismantling paver walkway and replanting Irish Moss.- New grass.
Break up current patio slab.- Build a border (rocks?) for patio space.
- Fill patio space with square concrete pavers and pea gravel.
Shop for plants.- Add plants along edges of retaining walls.
Repair and stain current patio furniture (or source used/new depending on time and budget)Remove small pavers and Irish Moss (to be replanted)
Now that I have the furniture looking fresh, I am excited to shop for new pillows! Here are some that I came across.
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Black Pillow Combo
Blue Pillow Combo
I like the shibori prints that evoke a boho earthy vibe, but I also like a more traditional look with solids.
Pink Pillow Combo
I don’t think I will go with pink, but I love pink!! You may know this if you have seen my pink sofa!
Neutral Pillow Combo
With kids and the amount of dirt that gets kicked up in the yard, all neutral palette won’t work. However, one or two of these mixed with the other combos above, would look very chic! Which ones do you like? Let me know in the Comments section.
This furniture looks great. It’s going to be so pretty.
I can see the little white flowers.
Thank you Cindy! I appreciate your encouragement.
The refinished furniture looks like new! Good luck with the arborist and the trees. I’m sure everything will work out fine. Best laid plans! It’s coming along so nicely, can’t wait to see it finished.
Aww thank you! None of the projects at this house have been easy. 😆 Really testing our patience and stamina ha ha.
Great job on giving those new life!!! You’ve got my hyped ton work in my backyard
Thank you! They will live on to see at least one more year!
What a great makeover!
Thank you! It was so easy too!
Great post! Your garden makeover is really coming along!
Thank you! With the wall in place I can really start to see the vision come to life!
You guys are making so much progress!!
Thank you! This week felt like 2 steps forward and 1 step back, but it is finally shaping up overall!
oh, this is a lot of work
your furniture look great and I think you save a lot of money
greetings from Germany
Linda
Thank you so much Linda! Definitely looking to save money when I can. Happy you stopped by and I appreciate your comment 🥰
you have been BUSY!!!!! I can not wait to see the finished product. I’m sure it will be beautiful;)
Thank you! We’ve had some rainstorms and I’m hoping to wrap this up soon! Appreciate your encouragement!
This piece of furniture is a great for outside seatin. Your restoration of it looks great. I like that you have an outline for all your projects. It’s exciting to see you check off each box. Am looking forward to the next checked box 🙂
Thanks for sharing at FWF party.
Thank you so much for visiting. It does feel really great to check things off the list! Have a great week! Thanks as always for hosting ❤
The furniture looks so much better!! I haven’t heard of that type of wood filler- I will have to give that a try! You are doing a great job!!
Thanks! You’re a pro furniture restorer and I’m nervous to have you see a project like this ☺️ Really appreciate your feedback! It’s a great stainable filler!
If you give a mouse a cookie…
Ha ha yes!
Oh Marie, what a great job! I have to confess, I hate painting or refinishing. LOL! But I absolutely love seeing the before and afters, it is one of my favorite things to search for. Don’t ask! Ha ha! I can see it all coming together!
Wow! Your furniture looks amazing and you are making so much progress! Great job!
The chairs turned out so well, and I love the plants you chose!
I’m so intrigued by the One Room Challenge … I love that you’ve taken it on. Curious to hear what arborist has to say. Two houses ago we put in a pool, and the city arborist had us change the plans in order to protect a native tree. Turned out to be the best thing that could have happened (although that’s not how we felt at the time). Tree roots are very sensitive. We have a gorgeous magnolia that’s struggling … between draught and our home and landscape renovations we may have inadvertently stressed the root system. Sign. Love your refinished seating … wish I had your energy! xo
The One Room Challenge is a great motivator. I want to sign up for every one ☺️. The arborist signed off on the majority of the plan, but suggested we move the patio further from the tree. I didn’t think it would be very labor intensive, but because of the slight (imperceptible to the naked eye) slope that we still have, small adjustments were needed by the stairs. There was a lot of measurements and digging to carve out the new space. I hope you can save your magnolia!! Thank you for reading! Have a great week! ❤
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Your outdoor furniture makeover is amazing!
Happy spring,
Kippi
Thanks so much Kippi! It keeps them going at least another season!!
You certainly have worked hard on this yard since I have followed you. Bravo and I hope things work out with the trees!
Thanks Cindy! I plan for this summer to be less work and more relaxing out here. At least that’s the plan for now!
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